Studying Chinese musical culture in Russian pedagogical universities (based on Chinese opera)

Abstract

In the context of progressive globalization and intensification of intercultural dialogue in the field of pedagogical education, the need to expand the artistic horizons of future music teachers through a deep mastering of foreign cultural traditions increases, among which Chinese musical culture occupies a special place due to its antiquity, philosophical depth and synthetic nature, manifested most fully in Beijing opera as a complex art integrating vocals, instrumental accompaniment, plasticity, acrobatics and complex symbolism of costumes, make-up and roles. The presented analysis reveals the evolution of Russian musicology over more than a century, demonstrating an exponential increase in publication activity from the predominance of descriptive and ethnographic works in the early period to the dominance of interdisciplinary research, which increased from 17,6 to 51,9%, with a focus on musical and theatrical forms and cultural context, reflecting the formation of a stable scientific tradition in the centers of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and the Far East. A comparison of educational practices in pedagogical universities reveals significant variability in approaches: the amount of classroom hours ranges from 28 to 48, and the proportion of practical classes ranges from 21.4 to 37.5 percent, with independent courses only available in some universities, resulting in an imbalance of thematic blocks and insufficient integration of Chinese material into professional training. Empirical indicators of students' mastery of the components of the Beijing opera reveal a pronounced asymmetry, with the visual-narrative aspects, such as the symbolism of costume and makeup (average score of 81.6) or the historical and cultural context (78.4), being significantly more effectively assimilated than the musical parameters themselves, such as vocal techniques (61.2) and instrumental accompaniment (64.8), which are fundamentally different in terms of pitch structure, rhythm, and voice production, requiring specialized auditory training. Systemic limitations are discussed, including the fragmented nature of educational and methodological support, the need to adapt complex material to the Russian educational environment, and the construction of a holistic interdisciplinary trajectory that combines theoretical understanding with active practical forms of work, workshops, and interaction with traditionalists. The identified trends highlight the potential of this area for improving the training of music educators who are capable of effectively transmitting foreign cultural artistic values in a multicultural society, and provide guidelines for developing coordinated methodological models, strengthening the practical component, and expanding international academic cooperation, which will help to overcome existing disparities and ensure a qualitatively new level of intercultural musical competence among graduates of pedagogical universities.